Lowe’s Perfect Streak Continues in Action-Packed Irwindale Showdown

Irwindale Speedway, CA – The Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series rolled into the historic Irwindale Speedway for Round 3 of Season 32, and once again, the story was all about James Lowe. Entering the night two-for-two, Lowe extended his undefeated streak with another calculated and commanding performance on the demanding California half-mile, taking the win in a Green-White-Checker finish after 100 laps of high-intensity racing that tested every driver’s patience and tire management skills.

The Irwindale Speedway, a “Southwestern California gem,” has long been known for its brutal tire wear, and that reputation proved accurate from the drop of the green flag. VGN commentators warned early that running the bottom line too long would “cook those right side tires,” forcing competitors to migrate higher up the racetrack as the run developed. With the top 13 inverted from the previous week’s results, Tom Hilbert and Jeff Kemper led the field to green while Lowe rolled off from Row 6, setting up another come-from-behind challenge for the points leader.

Hilbert controlled the opening laps, maintaining a narrow advantage while the rest of the top ten fought side-by-side behind him. Adam Schoen was among the early movers from sixth, but the first caution flew before momentum could build when Schoen made contact with Kemper entering Turn 1. Following the restart, Hilbert and Bruce “Double Deuce” Pearson staged a fierce battle for the top spot, both utilizing the apron to help rotate their cars. The fight ended with contact that sent Hilbert into the outside wall, opening the door for Pearson to take command. Behind them, Lowe began his familiar, measured charge forward, climbing seven spots to fourth before the race reached halfway.

As the laps clicked off, the front of the field formed a three-car breakaway featuring Pearson, Lowe, and Kyle Feimster in the No. 14. Feimster, who clocked the fastest early lap of the night at 18.293, ran an aggressive pace up front, opting for track position over long-run conservation. On Lap 62, he executed a clean and well-timed slide job to take the lead from Pearson, earning praise from the commentary booth for the “textbook move.” But Irwindale’s worn surface doesn’t reward aggression for long. Within a handful of laps, Feimster’s right-rear tire began to fade, and Lowe—known across the league as a “tire whisperer”—began closing rapidly. By Lap 69, Lowe made what was called his “easiest pass of the night” to reclaim the top spot and never looked back.

With 20 laps to go, Lowe built a comfortable 1.3-second lead while Feimster fell into the clutches of Chris Davis, who lived up to his “Mr. Aggressive” nickname by diving deep under Feimster several times in search of second. The battle boiled over in dramatic fashion when Davis sent his car low in Turn 3, making contact that spun Feimster around and collected Kurt Smith in the process. The incident brought out the third caution of the night and set up a tense Green-White-Checker finish to decide it all.

Lowe took the bottom lane for the restart, while Davis lined up high and Tre “The Caveman” Blohm lurked just behind. When the green flag waved, Lowe launched perfectly and never gave the pack a chance, while Davis fended off Blohm for second. Lowe crossed the line unchallenged to secure his third consecutive victory of the season, further extending his growing points lead. “The tires were definitely an issue,” Lowe said in his post-race interview. “I managed to save mine, and we actually ran our fastest lap on Lap 101. That’s how much it came together late.”

Chris Davis held on for second after a hard-fought night, while Blohm’s tire-saving strategy paid off as he grabbed third in the closing laps. Behind them, Todd Liston and John Wilson rounded out the top 5. Next week, the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series heads east to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Mike Holloway and Tom Hilbert will lead the field to green as the championship battle continues to heat up.

Ogle Survives Pocono Mayhem to Claim Double Points Victory in Wild Tour Mod Showdown

Pocono Raceway, PA – The YesterYear Racing Tour Modified Series returned to the virtual “Tricky Triangle” for Season 2, Race 12 — an intense 100-lap, 250-mile double-points event, paying homage to the 1978 Pocono Modified classic. What began as a strategy-driven race emphasizing “coopetition” and fuel mileage soon spiraled into a chaotic battle for survival. In the end, points leader Tom Ogle emerged victorious, surviving the carnage to score a massive win that could define his championship run.

This event carried the weight of the season — the league’s flagship race — and featured 29 entrants, including several wildcard drivers from outside the league. With double points on the line, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Ogle entered the night with a razor-thin one-point advantage over Ken Allen, with Scott Negus just three points behind. Pocono’s high speeds and long straights promised a drafting chess match, but the sheer size of the field had regulars uneasy about the potential for chaos.

Pole-sitter Dwayne McArthur led the field to green, with Ogle starting from the second row. Early on, McArthur and Ogle worked together in the draft, joined by Gavin Adams and Ken Allen in a four-car pack at the front. Drafting proved crucial — drivers had to balance cooperation and aggression, as leading burned more fuel but staying in line risked losing track position. The early laps showcased impressive coordination… until they didn’t.

Just nine laps in, disaster struck. Third-place points driver Scott Negus tangled with Chris Haizlip, slamming the inside wall and suffering heavy damage. Though Negus returned to the track, his night unraveled quickly after another hard hit in the tunnel turn just six laps later. The left-front suspension damage proved terminal, forcing him to park the car and settle for 29th. The championship contender’s hopes took a crushing blow in the league’s most important race of the season.

The caution flag became a frequent visitor. Repeated yellow periods prevented any long green runs, effectively neutralizing the anticipated fuel mileage battle. Each restart brought fresh chaos, as mid-pack traffic bunched up and several contenders saw their nights end early. The pivotal moment came just past halfway when a tunnel-turn stack-up collected Ken Allen, who was running second in points. Allen’s car erupted in sparks as the front suspension folded under him, ending his race and relegating him to a 25th-place finish.

With both of his primary rivals eliminated, Ogle suddenly found himself in control of the championship picture. But victory at Pocono was far from guaranteed. The high-speed drafting packs continued to shuffle, and survival became the night’s defining skill.

Among the notable incidents, Mark Fisch pancaked the inside wall on the front stretch in a daring four-wide attempt, while Dwayne McArthur suffered a brutal hit when Gavin Adams spun directly in front of him. McArthur’s car, battered but still running, soldiered on despite significant damage — a testament to both resilience and stubborn determination.

As the laps wound down, Ogle found a perfect drafting partner in Dale Copeland. The two worked in unison to break away from the field, pulling over a second clear of the chasing pack. Ogle’s impatience to lead showed at times, pushing the limits of fuel strategy, but his pace kept him in contention. Guest driver Geoffrey Souza, meanwhile, impressed in his debut, holding third and admitting afterward that he was simply “topping off during cautions” and hoping for the best on fuel.

With five laps to go, another caution set up a one-lap shootout — the ultimate high-pressure finale. Jeff Aho, who had quietly climbed through the chaos, restarted from the lead. As the green flag waved, Ogle jumped to the high side with Copeland glued to his bumper. The two powered through Turn 1, side-by-side with Aho, and down the backstretch Copeland gave Ogle one final push into the lead. Ogle held strong through the final corners and took the checkered flag first, sealing a career-defining double-points victory.

After the race, Ogle was humble in victory. “I felt very fortunate,” he said. “I was happy just to take second and the points, but Dale [Copeland] was the MVP tonight. He gave me the push I needed.” Copeland crossed the line in second, calling his own effort “pure survival.” Guest driver Souza rounded out the podium in third, a remarkable feat given his limited Modified experience.

As the dust settled, the championship outlook shifted dramatically. With Negus and Allen finishing deep in the order, Ogle walks away from Pocono with a commanding points lead and the inside lane toward the Season 2 title. The Tour Mods will next head to Martinsville Speedway, where the tight confines of the paperclip are sure to deliver more fireworks — and perhaps a chance for redemption for those who fell victim to Pocono’s unpredictable mayhem.

Foltz Doubles Down in Vegas: Two-Tire Gamble Locks Up Spot in OBRL Cup Finale

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series hit Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Round 3 of the 2025 playoffs, where 150 laps turned into a tense battle of pit strategy, tire management, and playoff survival. What began as a race of patience ended in bold calculation — and it was Sean Foltz’s daring two-tire gamble that paid off big, earning him another playoff victory and locking him into the OBRL Cup Series finale.

From the drop of the green flag, pole-sitter Andrew Kotska set the early tone while Tom Ogle struggled to get up to speed. Within the opening laps, tire falloff became apparent, with lap times dropping nearly a full second by Lap 20. Championship hopeful Daniel Hill found speed running the high line against the wall and used that momentum to pass Kotska for the lead around Lap 29. Further back, Lloyd Moore made an incredible save after a massive slide that could have easily ended his night, losing less than a second in the process.

The first round of green-flag pit stops began early, around Lap 46, with Kotska and Dwayne McArthur pitting in unison to gain track position through the undercut. Ogle briefly cycled to the front but lost time after overshooting his pit box. Then, the race flipped on its head when the first caution came out on Lap 71 after Brian Lynch ran into the back of Ken Huff while entering pit road. The timing of the yellow completely neutralized the early pit advantage for Kotska and McArthur and handed the upper hand to Hill, who had stretched his fuel window longer than most. Restarting as the leader, Hill seemed to have his strategy working to perfection.

But Vegas rarely lets anyone off easy. Around Lap 87, the second caution flew when Robert Guarisco lost control and hit the wall, collecting several others including Roger Hurley and Lynch. That incident reshuffled the field once again and left several playoff contenders scrambling to recover lost ground.

As the laps wound down, the race evolved into a masterclass in strategy. Sean Foltz, who had pitted later than most of the front-runners on Lap 79, began carving through the field on fresher tires. When the final green-flag pit cycle began near Lap 125, Foltz made the move that would define the race. While Hill and Ogle pitted together — Hill losing time when he had to back up after the jack dropped — Foltz took only two tires on his final stop, a strategy he’d tested during the week. The gamble loosened his car slightly, but it slashed his pit time and gave him the track position he needed.

The call worked flawlessly. Foltz rocketed through the field, blowing past Ogle and McArthur in the final stretch. When Greg McDaniel, who had stretched his fuel beyond the window, finally pitted on Lap 133, Foltz inherited the lead and never looked back. He crossed the line more than a second ahead of Ogle, claiming his second playoff victory and securing his spot in the championship finale.

Tom Ogle rebounded from a tough start to finish second, while McArthur brought home a strong third after running near the front all night. Kotska finished fourth, with Cortney Nelson rounding out the top five after a clean and consistent run. Dale Copeland, Lloyd Moore, David Brann, Scott Negus, and McDaniel completed the top ten.

Not all playoff hopefuls were so lucky. Daniel Hill’s late-race strategy gamble — pitting under green and hoping for a caution — backfired, dropping him a lap down and leaving him 17th at the finish. Jerry Isaacs took 13th after a fierce battle with Jeffery Lyden, leaving him in a precarious points position heading into the next round.

As the series now shifts to Talladega, the stakes couldn’t be higher. With Foltz locked into the finale and Hill suddenly vulnerable, the Round of 8 will be a minefield for those still chasing the title. Ogle summed up the mood perfectly after the race: “Talladega’s about survival. Horrible things can happen there, and you just have to hope you’re not the one in it.”

One thing is clear — momentum belongs to Sean Foltz, who’s quickly become the man to beat in this playoff run.

James Lowe Stays Perfect at Kern Raceway with Dominant Late Model Win

The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series rolled into Kern Raceway for Round 2 of Season 32, with sixteen drivers ready to tackle the high-banked half-mile for one hundred laps of tire-conserving chaos. The grid was set by an inversion of the top thirteen finishers from the previous round, putting veterans and champions deep in the field and promising plenty of action from the drop of the green flag.

John Wilson started from pole, joined on the front row by Chris Haizlip, with Bruce Pearson and Tom Hilbert filling out the second row. The field behind them was stacked — Round 1 winner James Lowe rolled off from seventh, defending champion Kurt Smith from ninth, and former champion Aiden Young from twelfth. Series rookie contender Kyle Feimster lined up in eleventh, eager to prove his strong debut was no fluke.

The opening laps were surprisingly clean, though Joe Segalla’s spin across the start/finish line immediately tested the nerves of the pack. No yellow was thrown, and the race stayed green as Wilson used the inside line to surge ahead early. Pearson and Chris Davis followed close behind, but all eyes were on James Lowe, who sliced through the pack like a man possessed. By lap 20, Lowe was already hunting down the leaders, showing the pace and patience that won him the season opener.

Bruce Pearson played the long game, backing off to save his tires, while rookie Feimster impressed by moving up several positions, challenging the veterans. The first caution finally flew when Haizlip got loose and tagged the wall, scattering debris. Under yellow, Feimster kept his composure in his live interview, calmly stating that his plan was to conserve tires until the final thirty laps — a strategy that proved wise as tire wear became the story of the night.

On the restart, Wilson held serve for a moment, but Lowe’s relentless charge couldn’t be contained. As Davis struggled on the outside, Lowe slipped through to take second, then set his sights on Wilson. The pair fought hard for several laps, trading lines and braking points, before a second caution — triggered by contact between the 52 and 8 machines — froze the field with Lowe just ahead. When the green returned, the outcome felt inevitable.

From that point forward, James Lowe was untouchable. The #99 machine rocketed away from the field, building a gap that grew lap after lap. Behind him, the battle for second heated up as Aiden Young, who had started deep in twelfth, came alive in the final quarter of the race. Saving his tires early, Young methodically reeled in Feimster, making the decisive pass for second with ten laps remaining. Feimster, in just his second start, held strong for a career-best third, though his worn tires left him hanging on by the end.

Further back, defending champion Kurt Smith rebounded to a solid fifth-place finish, while Bruce Pearson clawed his way to sixth after an early spin and lost bodywork. Adam Schoen, Ryan Senneker, Chris Davis, and Darryl Wineinger rounded out the top ten, each surviving their share of close calls in a race that surprisingly went the distance with minimal cautions. Pole-sitter John Wilson’s night unraveled after leading early, eventually finishing fifteenth, while Segalla’s early crash ended his race before it could truly begin.

When the checkered flag waved, it was James Lowe once again standing tall — two-for-two to start the season, with both wins earned in commanding fashion. “I still had plenty of tire left,” Lowe remarked afterward, a confident statement that will send shivers through the rest of the field. As the series leaves Kern, it’s clear that if anyone wants to stop Lowe’s streak, they’ll need more than speed — they’ll need a flawless night and a perfect strategy to match his pace and composure.

With back-to-back victories, Lowe has quickly established himself as the man to beat as the Late Model Invitational Series heads into Round 3 at the legendary Irwindale Speedway. The question now is whether anyone — perhaps Young with his renewed pace, or the steady veteran Smith — can rise to the challenge and slow Lowe’s momentum before he turns Season 32 into his personal victory tour.

Hill Tames the Roval as Playoff Picture Tightens

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series rolled into Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval for the final race of Round 2 in the 2025 season playoffs delivered every ounce of tension expected from the treacherous road course. With no caution flags over the entire distance, the pressure on drivers was relentless as every mistake had lasting consequences. Daniel “Black Cat” Hill, already locked into Round 3 with his New Hampshire win, showed why he’s one of the toughest drivers in the series by starting from pole and controlling much of the race, leaving his competitors scrambling for survival in the playoff cutline battle.

Cortney Nelson entered the night eight points below the cut line, and his race nearly unraveled in the opening laps when he was handed a drive-through penalty. What initially seemed like a disaster surprisingly became an advantage, as the penalty put Nelson into clean air, allowing him to click off fast laps while the rest of the field fought through traffic. His alternate strategy kept him in contention longer than many expected, though his playoff hopes still depended on the misfortune of others.

Behind Hill, Christian Loschen turned heads by running second for long stretches, showing he had the pace to challenge if Hill slipped up. Meanwhile, the playoff drama played out further back. James Hislop, clinging to a crucial transfer spot, spun early and dropped through the order. He regrouped, however, and clawed his way forward, making a bold pass on Andrew Kotska for sixth that could prove pivotal in the standings. Kotska, the winningest driver of the regular season, found himself under pressure all race long, while Andrew Medlin’s playoff hopes faded as repeated off-track excursions cost him valuable time and positions.

Pit strategy added another layer of intrigue. Nelson’s early stop, forced by his penalty, gave him stretches of clear track to post quick laps, but without cautions to reset the field, he had little margin to make up for the lost track position. In the end, the Roval proved to be the end of the road for Nelson. Despite showing pace after serving his early penalty, the deficit in points was simply too much to overcome, and he was eliminated from playoff contention. Andrew Medlin, who fought hard but struggled with costly mistakes and off-track excursions, also saw his postseason hopes come to a close. Both drivers had moments of brilliance in this round, but consistency proved to be the deciding factor as the field gets trimmed for the Round of 8.

When the checkered flag fell, Hill once again stood tall, adding another road course triumph to his season and underscoring his status as a title favorite. But the real story was the razor-thin playoff battle behind him, where every slip, spin, and strategy call at the Roval carried season-defining consequences. With the season quickly winding down, the remaining playoff field now faces a high-stakes fight for survival in every single race left to go as the championship march continues.

Foltz Steals Kansas Win, Secures Playoff Spot in Dramatic Fashion

Sean Foltz pulled off a dramatic victory at Kansas Speedway, taking advantage of perfectly timed luck and flawless execution to steal a playoff win in the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series. The 150-lap race was filled with tension from the drop of the green, as drivers knew the unpredictable Charlotte Roval loomed just one week away. For Foltz, who admitted afterward that he will miss the cutoff race at Charlotte, the Kansas win was more than just a highlight—it was a necessity to keep his playoff hopes alive.

The night began with urgency in the air, and it quickly spilled onto the racetrack. Tire wear was far more severe than expected, with many drivers already using half of their allotted sets before the race even hit halfway. The combination of worn tires and close racing sparked multiple incidents, including a big pileup on lap 27 that collected Daniel “The Black Cat” Hill. Hill’s New Hampshire win had already secured him a playoff transfer, but others weren’t so lucky. Victor Lane and Fred Wolford both suffered major setbacks in separate wrecks, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy.

As the field settled into a rhythm, long green-flag runs gave way to strategy. The pivotal moment came around lap 110, when Bill Martin spun while trying to enter pit road during a cycle of green-flag stops. The resulting caution trapped several front-runners, including Andrew Kotska and Dwayne McArthur, a lap down. Foltz, who had yet to make his stop, inherited the lead and suddenly found himself in control of the race. From there, he executed with precision, using the advantage of clean air and track position to keep the field behind him.

The closing laps were set up by another caution with just over 20 laps remaining when Michael Dow went around, giving the field one final chance to challenge Foltz. Daniel Hill, who had been nursing damage from earlier contact, pitted from eighth for his last set of fresh tires and immediately became the driver to watch. In a furious charge, Hill picked off cars one by one, climbing to a fifth-place finish that stunned the crowd and further reinforced his reputation as one of the toughest drivers in the series.

Up front, Foltz was untouchable. McArthur, who had battled his way back onto the lead lap, mounted a late charge and secured second place, while Tom Ogle kept himself firmly in the playoff picture with a solid third. For Kotska and Nelson, however, the night was bitter. Kotska, the winningest driver of the regular season, could only manage 13th after being caught out by the ill-timed caution, while Nelson’s playoff chances were dealt a crushing blow when he crashed out and finished 24th.

When the checkered flag fell, Foltz had not only won the race but effectively saved his season. With his spot now secured in the next playoff round, the fight for the remaining transfer positions will head to Charlotte, where chaos is all but guaranteed. For the drivers still on the bubble, Kansas was a warning shot—the margin for error has vanished, and the Roval will decide who survives and who gets left behind.

Hill Punches Ticket to Round of 8 with New Hampshire Win

Daniel Hill punched his ticket to the Round of 8 in the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series playoffs with a masterclass performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 170-lap event began with Tom Ogle looking unstoppable, leading confidently from the pole after his win the previous week at Bristol. Early on, the race was interrupted by two quick cautions—Patrick Martindale’s spin on lap 10 and a separate incident for Torrance Childs—but once the field settled in, the night turned into a grueling green-flag run where tire management and pit strategy took center stage.

James Hislop nearly sparked disaster when he locked up the brakes on a restart while running second, spinning to the infield but avoiding contact. The mistake dropped him to the back, forcing him into a recovery drive that defined the rest of his night. Up front, Ogle, Hill, and Cortney Nelson set the pace while Greg McDaniel conserved tires and Jerry Isaacs carved his way forward from 17th, showing the speed that has made him a consistent presence all season.

The race shifted dramatically once green-flag pit stops began. Andrew Medlin tried to steal track position with an early stop, but the most impactful moves came from the leaders. Nelson pitted six laps earlier than Hill and Ogle, leapfrogging both and building a healthy lead. Ogle admitted later that he stayed out too long, costing himself dearly once he rejoined in dirty air, while Hill’s timing worked to perfection as he slotted ahead of Ogle and into striking distance of Nelson.

From there, it became a high-stakes duel. Nelson defended with everything he had, sliding the car hard off turn four while Hill patiently stalked him, preferring the outside line. With just over 50 laps to go, Hill finally made his move, committing to a daring run around the high side and completing the pass for the lead. Once in clean air, the driver nicknamed “The Black Cat” never looked back, pulling away to secure the win and automatically advancing to the next playoff round.

Nelson held on for second after his bold pit call, keeping himself in strong playoff contention as the series heads to Kansas and the Roval, while Ogle crossed the line third, frustrated by his strategic misstep but comforted by solid points. Jerry Isaacs impressed with a climb to fifth after starting 17th, a crucial performance for a driver below the cut line, and Hislop clawed back to finish tenth after his early spin. On the other end, Dwayne MacArthur’s season took a hit with a disappointing 20th-place finish, a lap down, leaving him in danger of needing a must-win at the Charlotte Roval. League founder Victor Lane also had a rough night, coming home 23rd and facing a steep uphill battle to keep his playoff hopes alive.

In the end, it was Hill’s perfect blend of patience, precision, and strategy that made the difference, proving once again why he’s one of the toughest drivers in the series when the stakes are at their highest.

Ogle Capitalizes on Hill’s Misfortune to Win at Bristol

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series wrapped up the opening round of its 2025 playoffs under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the tight half-mile lived up to its reputation as “The Last Great Coliseum.” When the dust settled, it was Tom Ogle who emerged victorious, but the story of the night centered around Daniel Hill’s miscalculated pit stop that flipped the race on its head.

From the moment the green flag waved, Daniel Hill — better known by his “Black Cat” nickname — looked untouchable. Starting from the outside of the front row, Hill powered past polesitter Lloyd Moore on lap one and immediately built himself a cushion. An early caution on lap 10 for contact between Robert Guarisco and Todd Cousins briefly slowed the field, but Hill quickly reasserted control once racing resumed.

As the laps clicked off, the race settled into a long green-flag rhythm. The top lane became treacherous, with several drivers — including playoff favorite Andrew Kotska — scraping the outside wall. Hill, however, stayed smooth and in command, logging lap after lap at the front while his rivals wrestled for position behind him.

The night’s turning point came just past halfway. Jerry Isaacs committed to a two-stop strategy, pitting around lap 86, while Hill and others tried to stretch their fuel for a single stop. On lap 120, Hill finally ducked onto pit road with a comfortable lead — only for disaster to strike. Just two laps later, Clay Walker spun to bring out the caution.

Hill’s timing couldn’t have been worse. Trapped a lap down while the rest of the leaders pitted under yellow, he handed control of the race to Tom Ogle, who inherited the top spot and fresh tires all in one stroke. Ogle admitted after the race that he was stunned Hill pitted so early and knew instantly that fortune had swung his way.

Hill’s troubles didn’t stop there. On the restart, he was penalized for passing cars improperly during his wave-around, forcing him to serve a costly drive-through. It seemed his night was over, but in true “Black Cat” fashion, Hill refused to quit.

A caution for JP Rainey’s spin gave Hill the lucky dog, putting him back on the lead lap. From there, he clawed his way through the field, ripping around the high line and slicing past car after car. In the end, he salvaged a sixth-place finish — an impressive comeback considering he was multiple laps down after his pit road nightmare.

With Hill out of the picture for the win, the closing laps came down to Ogle versus Cortney Nelson. Nelson found speed on the bottom groove and relentlessly pressured the leader, shrinking the gap to just a few car lengths. Traffic added to the tension, but Ogle never flinched, keeping his line tight and his exits clean.

After 250 laps of short-track chaos, Ogle crossed the line first, securing his playoff advancement with a statement victory at one of the toughest tracks on the schedule. Nelson settled for second after a hard-fought effort, while Greg McDaniel rounded out the podium. Andrew Medlin and Dwayne MacArthur completed the top five.

The Bristol showdown also marked the cutoff for the Round of 16. Defending champion Josh Robinson and Mark Fisch were eliminated after not competing, while Ogle’s win and Hill’s recovery drive helped solidify the playoff picture heading into New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Round of 12 begins.

Kotska Controls Gateway to Punch Ticket Into Round of 12

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series 2025 rolled into Worldwide Technology Raceway on Sunday night, September 7th, for Round 28 of the season and the second race of the Round of 16 playoffs. The event was billed as a tricky test and Gateway more than lived up to its reputation. With its two very different sets of corners, heavy braking zones, and constant shifting, the 1.25-mile oval demands precision and discipline — traits that only a handful of drivers managed to master across the 130-lap contest.

Andrew Kotska set the tone from the outset by grabbing the pole position, beating out a strong lap from Tom Ogle, with Dwayne McArthur starting third. The drama began before the field even found a rhythm, as Ogle was handed an iRacing drive-through penalty for jumping the start, dropping him to the back while Kotska inherited the lead. From there, Kotska’s focus and tire management allowed him to control the pace, while McArthur shadowed him closely in the early going. Further back, the race came alive with surges through the field — most notably Cortney Nelson, who clawed his way from an EOL penalty at the rear to inside the top 10 before tire wear and wall contact stalled his charge. Dan Hill also impressed, starting 13th and steadily working his way forward into contention.

Tire management quickly emerged as the defining factor of the night. While most drivers aimed for a single pit stop around halfway, Tommy Emasie rolled the dice early with a short-pit strategy around lap 45, showing just how powerful fresh tires could be. But for most of the front-runners, patience and timing were everything. The pivotal cycle of green-flag stops came around lap 65, when Kotska, McArthur, and James Hislop ducked in. Andrew Medlin tried to undercut, while Jerry Isaacs made the biggest leap, vaulting himself into second with a perfectly executed stop. Scott Negus briefly appeared in the mix after short-pitting but eventually faded with worn tires, underscoring just how tricky Gateway can be on long runs.

From there, the race belonged to Kotska. He paced himself masterfully, leading 126 of the 130 laps and never putting a wheel wrong. Behind him, the best battle unfolded between Isaacs, Hill, and Hislop for the podium. Isaacs nearly threw away his run with a late wiggle out of turn two but hung on with a remarkable save to secure second place. Hill, meanwhile, showcased his trademark patience and tire-saving style, methodically picking his way into third after a spirited fight with Hislop. McArthur, already safe in the playoffs thanks to his Darlington win, rounded out the top five.

Kotska’s victory not only cemented his dominance on the night but also locked him into the Round of 12, a huge relief as the series heads next to the high-banked chaos of Bristol. Isaacs left Gateway pleased with second but admitted nothing short of a Kotska mistake would have given him a shot at the win. Hill was equally satisfied with third, calling it a strong recovery after a disappointing qualifying brush with the wall.

Ogle, despite his early penalty, salvaged 11th, keeping his playoff hopes alive. With Gateway complete, the playoff picture tightens, and all eyes turn to Bristol — a short-track wild card where fortunes can flip in the blink of an eye.

McArthur Outlasts the Lady in Black as Nelson’s Gamble Falls Short

Darlington Raceway famously nicknamed “The Lady in Black,” lived up to its reputation in opening round of the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series playoffs. As the second visit to the track this season and a pivotal playoff event, the night featured plenty of strategy, heartbreak, and just enough chaos to shuffle the playoff deck. With its narrow racing groove and punishing walls, Darlington once again lived up to its reputation for demanding respect from every driver. The race carried added intrigue thanks to a new tire model that reduced overall grip, forcing competitors to manage their cars with extra care.

The playoff atmosphere was evident before the green flag even dropped. Sixteen hopefuls carried pink markings—spoilers and windshield banners setting them apart—as they fought to keep their championship dreams alive. Absent from the grid, however, was defending champion Josh Robinson, whose no-show leaves him in a must-win situation down the stretch. On the front row, Cortney Nelson grabbed the pole, joined by earlier Darlington winner Tom Ogle, while Dwayne McArthur and Daniel Hill filled out row two. Daytona winner Andrew Medlin slotted in just behind them, looking to extend his underdog run into the postseason.

Once the field came to life, Ogle wasted no time surging into the lead on the outside, but Nelson punched right back on the inside to reclaim it, with McArthur sliding into second. From there, the early laps were a master class in patience. Drivers focused less on fighting each other and more on fighting the track, with plenty of Darlington stripes to go around. Chris Bates brought the first real drama, clobbering the inside wall and earning a “meatball flag” that eventually ended his race. Daniel Hill, meanwhile, spun twice and limped away from the night without bringing out a caution, his playoff hopes crumpling in the process.

The race’s lone yellow flag waved on lap 23 when Todd Cousins got loose and pounded the wall, knocking him out of contention. That sparked the first wave of pit strategy, with most drivers grabbing four tires and fuel. Nelson and Mark Fisch took a gamble by staying out, while McArthur wisely shadowed Nelson’s eventual stop, pitting one lap later to cover the strategy and hold onto clean air. Nelson then shot himself in the foot by overshooting his pit box, forcing him to back up and lose precious time. Remarkably, he stormed back into the top five not long after, leading the commentary team to wonder if he’d discovered some secret to tire management.

As the laps wound down, the story became one of pit cycles and track position. Nelson blinked first among the leaders, ducking in on lap 76, while McArthur came a lap later to protect his advantage. Ogle hung out until lap 82 but paid the price, losing over a second per lap on fading rubber. Kotska stretched his run the longest, waiting until lap 98, but by then he had too much ground to make up despite his fresher tires. When the dust settled from the pit stops, McArthur found himself at the front, while Jerry Isaacs muscled his way into second with a tidy slide job on Greg McDaniel.

The closing laps were nothing short of dramatic. Nelson clawed his way through the field once again, bluffing McDaniel into a mistake to grab third and then sliding past Isaacs for second. That set up a duel with McArthur, who had been stout out front all evening. Nelson was consistently faster off the corners, using every inch of track to reel in the leader. Contact, feints, and side-by-side moments all built the tension heading into the final circuits. But just when Nelson looked poised to pounce, disaster struck—his car coughed on the white flag lap, bone dry on fuel. Forced to coast, he fell to a painful seventh place as McArthur cruised to the win.

McArthur admitted afterward that he still had 13–14 laps of fuel left, crediting his manual fill method and strategy of shadowing Nelson’s pit stop as the keys to victory. Isaacs crossed the line in second but left frustrated after contact with Nelson netted him a 4x penalty, though he vowed to keep pointing his way into the Final Four. McDaniel celebrated third, happy that Nelson’s empty tank helped him lock down a podium finish. Kotska and Ogle completed the top five, with Medlin, Nelson, James Hisop, Lloyd Moore, and Shawn Foltz rounding out the top ten.

In the end, the stat sheet will show only one caution, but the bruised egos, battered cars, and shattered strategies tell the real story. The Lady in Black once again demanded respect, and while many drivers walked away scarred, it was Dwayne McArthur who carried the trophy out of Darlington. The playoffs now shift to Gateway before the cutdown race at Bristol, where the only certainty is that nothing is certain.